


Stars And The Moon

by LetTheSunshineIn



Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-02
Updated: 2012-02-02
Packaged: 2017-10-30 11:58:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/331512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LetTheSunshineIn/pseuds/LetTheSunshineIn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I'd like to go there... someday." Annie loves the sky, and Finnick can tell her almost as much about it as he can the sea.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stars And The Moon

Annie sits, curled up, by the railing of the ship. She looks out to the shifting ocean, watching it as it reflects the setting sun, her back to the rest of the world. This is the best time of day for the water, she decides.   
It is just her, the sea, and the sky.

Finnick observes her carefully from the side of the cabin. Times like these, he wonders what goes on inside her head. Then he asks himself he really wants to know. One year after her Games, and Annie needs coaxing to go for a swim. More often than not she won’t go. She hears things that get inside her head – are inside her head. She sees the Games, over and over. Annie used to scream when they got too loud. She would sob and shudder, reliving her partner’s death. Reliving drowning that girl during the flood. Then Finnick would come and calm her down and whisper simple promises to her. He doesn’t have to do it much anymore. But sometimes he does.  
Now he just needs to be there.   
The small woman’s hair flies out around her, mingling in the salty air. Annie’s eyes loose their focus, and she clenches her knees, drawing them closer to her body.  
She can see it again. And she hates it.  
And then the voices come.

Annie’s hands have just clamped over her ears, gripping her head, when Finnick slides beside her and breathes. She’s still not looking at him, but Finnick puts his hands over hers.  
He eases them down onto her lap, and she lets him. He runs his fingers through the curls of her hair.   
“Annie,” Finnick says, “Annie, you’re right here. You’re here, on the ocean. It’s nighttime. You’re in District Four. I’m here.”  
Slowly, she blinks and swallows. Then she laughs.

It’s five minutes until her eyes refocus. Annie stares out past the gentle waves, to the horizon. She could see just a gentle electric glow coming from past the horizon – District Three. The moon’s reflection dances on the water, and her eyes dart down to follow it. A few seconds pass, and Annie turns her head towards Finnick, and smiles.  
He smiles back.  
She points up to the pitch-black sky, and murmurs, “Look.”  
He nods, “It’s beautiful, Annie.”  
She hums to herself, and stares up at the stars. A few minutes pass in silence, and then she speaks again.  
“How long?”  
Finnick is used to her being unclear, and asks for clarification, “How long for what?”  
“To get up there?”  
Strange question, he decides. But a good one, nevertheless.  
“Maybe…” Finnick begins, and trails off. He isn’t sure, but he tries again, “Maybe two years. Three, if you’re going further.”  
Annie agrees silently, and doesn’t press it further. He pulls her in by her waist, and she falls asleep with her head on his shoulder.

It’s early morning. Seagulls swoop down high above, and squawk as they fly through the heavy morning mist. Finnick has just brought the ship out, and they’re sailing out to fish. It’s not so much that Annie cares about fishing these days, but anything that can get her out in the open, and talking is good enough for Finnick. She enjoys sailing everyday. Now, she sits with her back to the ocean, leaning against the railing. Annie watches Finnick this time.   
He’s good at untangling the knots in the nets.  
He’s good at a lot of things, Annie thinks, At everything.

Throwing the last net down on the dock – not yet having put it in the water – Finnick strolls over to Annie, and sits beside her, as he always does. Sitting is what they do best together. And he doesn’t mind. It’s better than nothing, Finnick decides.  
“Finnick?”  
He gives her a small smile, “Yeah?”  
“So two years?” Annie asks, with an honest look.  
Momentarily confused, the golden-haired man pauses. Then he realizes, “To get up there?” he says, pointing up, “Yes. About two, I think.”  
“Hm.” She says simply, then adds, “Is it beautiful up there?”  
Finnick nods, “It sure is. All the stars and the planets.”  
“More than the oceans?”  
Tough question. He isn’t sure how answer this, so he just says, “Maybe. I haven’t been. I guess you’ll have to decide for yourself.”  
“Oh,” Annie says, and she smiles. Moments pass in silence, and Finnick pulls her in again. She turns to him, “Do you want to swim? We’re not too far out.”  
He laughs, and helps her up. This is the first time she’s asked that. And he’s hoping it won’t be the last.

They swim every day for the next two weeks, and it’s wonderful. Having no other obligations, and just being with who you want is truly something Finnick thinks he’ll never take for granted for the rest of his life. They swim in the morning, all day, even through the night sometimes. It’s just fantastic to watch Annie actually enjoy herself – and laugh. She’s laughing, laughing that things that are meant to be funny.  
They’re soaking wet, and Annie’s hair looks black with the water and late afternoon light. Their ship is docked to the east, and Finnick leads Annie to a certain part of the never-ending beach. He’s planned something fun – he’s planned for them to watch the sunset.  
He holds Annie’s thin hand as they walk along the shore, sand sticking to their feet. You learn not to mind it when you live in Four. It’s just like you get over the electrical hum in Three, or the train engines in Six. You actually learn to appreciate it, and miss it when it’s gone.

The twenty-one-old man throws down a blanket and Annie smiles as she sits down, the sand shifting below her. Finnick joins her down on the beach; he kisses the top of her head. Annie blushes. He thinks it’s sweet.  
“Finnick?” Annie asks, just like she always does, “Could we just stay forever? Here? And never have to leave? Because I’d like to. Just stay here, I mean. Four is perfect.”  
“Of course we can.”  
She thinks about this. “When do you have to go? We?”  
Finnick looks down, “To where?”  
“Back,” Annie replies quietly.  
Back. Of course that’s what she means. He didn’t want to go to the Capitol either, but he had to Mentor anyways. It actually wasn’t her turn to mentor, but he had organized it with Mags so that she was.  
Seems like the Tributes will be coached together this year.  
Leaving her in Four would be foolish. But bringing her could hurt her. Snow hadn’t called for her, though. Maybe she would leave unscathed. And anyways, no one could calm her down other than Finnick. So she had to come, simple as that. And she would; she followed wherever he went.  
“In a month, Annie,” Finnick answers calmly, “But you’re coming with me, and you won’t have to be a part of it.”  
She’ll watch it, yes. But she’s not participating. So it’s not a lie. Technically.  
“And anyways,” He continues, “You can be closer to the stars with the tall buildings there.”  
Annie shakes her head, “The stars are closer to me here. I can’t see them there. They’re covered and hidden by – by something, I don’t know what. But they’re clear here. And bright.”  
Finnick sighs, “You’re right, Annie. You’re right.”

The sun sets, and they remain on the beach. Annie curls into Finnick’s arms, and he holds her as they talk quietly. Insignificant things are said, but they mean the world to the both of them.  
“Can we go?”  
“Up?”  
“Up there,” Annie says in agreement.  
Finnick nods, “Yes. We’ll go together.”  
“I’m glad,” she says blankly.  
“Me too,” he whispers, and twirls a strand of her hair around his fingers.  
Nights like these are perfect. 

It was an hour later, or maybe two… it could have been fifty days and the two wouldn’t notice nor care.  
Annie’s snuggled into Finnick, and they’re sitting together, silent again.  
“Finnick?”  
“Mm-hm?”  
“I’d like to go there…”  
“Hm…”  
“…Someday.”

**Author's Note:**

> Ooh, my first THG fanfiction, and the first one I've posted here. Thank you so much for reading!


End file.
